Elaine Surick Oran

Considered a world authority on numerical methods for large-scale simulation of physical systems, Oran pioneered computational technology to solve complex reactive flow problems. Her work unified concepts from science, mathematics, engineering, and computer science into a new methodology, and contributed significantly to the advancement of the engineering profession.

The range of phenomena that could be modeled using her techniques for numerical simulation of fluid flows was remarkably broad, spanning the tightly grouped movements of fish in Earth's oceans to the explosions of supernovae in space.